Through the Fire
by WeHaveACase
Summary: EO Things are changing in Olivia's life...and Elliot's.
1. Flames and Fear

**Through the Fire**

PG-13

EO Pairing eventually. While investigating a case, the building catches fire...and things change. Bad summary I know, but once I know more of where I'm going with this, I'll make it better.

Just a little drabble...I'm not sure how long I'll make it. It's just a little thought that came to mind while I was procrastinating on my other stories. Influenced slightly by the fires in Ventura county, which filled our campus with smoke and ashes. Rating is simply to be safe at this point, I'll let you know if I decide to change it. I promise I'll get to my other stories soon...in the meantime...

Disclaimer: Not mine...the storyline is the only thing I can claim as my own. The folks down at the 16 are not mine. They belong to Dick Wolf, not a lowly college student like myself...

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Chapter 1 - Flames and Fear

Elliot and Olivia stood in the living room of the woman they were interviewing. Her number appeared multiple times on the phone LUDs for a suspect they were looking for. Elliot was questioning the woman, asking her about her relationship with their suspect, when Olivia drifted towards the window of the woman's sixth story apartment.

"Ma'am. If there's anything you can tell us-"

"Hey, Elliot." Olivia interrupted, and he turned toward her, his eyebrows raised. "Do you smell-"

"Smoke?" He finished for her, his eyes going wide as realization dawned.

"Yeah." Olivia muttered as she walked to the door of the apartment. She opened it, and immediately began coughing at the thick smoke that was coming down the stairs. "Shit!" She exclaimed as the fire alarm began blaring.

"Ma'am, go downstairs and get outside, tell anyone you see to get out. Now!" Elliot told her quickly, pushing her towards the door and springing into action. He and Olivia followed her out of the apartment, splitting up at the stairs. Elliot ran down the flights of stairs, knocking on doors and yelling for people to evacuate, and at the same time radioing for help. "This is Detective Stabler, we've got a fire at 425 E. Fernwood. My partner and I are evacuating the building. We're gonna need some buses."

Olivia ran up the flights of stairs, mirroring Elliot's actions. She pounded on doors, yelling for people to get out of the building. As she climbed the stairs the smoke began thickening, and it became harder to breath. When she reached the tenth floor, she found the location of the fire. Dropping to her knees, she took a breath of the clearer air near the ground, and turned to go back down and out of the building. Suddenly she stopped, straining to hear the sound that struck her over the crackling fire. After a moment, she heard it again, the sound of a child crying. Forgoing the stairs, she moved in the opposite direction, towards the whimpers. At the bottom of the other flight of stairs lay a small girl and her mother. The toddler had one arm wrapped around her mother and was crying, pulling at her mother, and coughing as the smoke continued to thicken. Olivia could see that the mother was unconscious, and when she got closer she noticed the large wound at the base of the mother's head. It appeared as if the mother had fallen down the stairs in her rush to get out with her daughter.

"Sweetie." Olivia called over the fire. "Come here honey." She held her hands out to the little girl as she moved closer.

"Mommy." She could hear the girl's whimper as she reached them. Looking down at the mother, she saw that she wasn't breathing, and made a quick decision. As the crackles of the blaze grew louder, Olivia grabbed the little girl and hurried back towards the stairs. The little girl wrapped her arms around Olivia's neck and pressed her face into her shoulder as she ran down the stairs, desperate to get out of the burning building.

Outside, Elliot stood with the occupants of the building, helping families count heads to make sure everyone had gotten out okay. At the same time, he searched for Olivia in the crowd. He hadn't seen her come out, but he'd been distracted. He was gradually becoming more and more worried though, each face he saw was unfamiliar. He and Olivia had repaired their partnership after she'd returned. Their friendship had grown as well, and Elliot was currently ignoring new feelings he'd developed along the way. These feelings rushed up to a head though, as he moved around the residents, fearing for her safety and gradually realizing that she was probably still in the building.

He pushed his way to the front of the crowd, finally reaching the fire chief. "Listen man, I'm Detective Stabler and-"

"You the one who called it in?" The chief interrupted.

"Yeah, my partner and I. Look, she's-"

"Good you did. The fire was pretty well advanced when you called. Building could cave at any moment."

"Damn it! My partner's still in there!" Elliot finally exclaimed, trying to push his way past the chief and the beat cops who formed a barricade around the building. He was struggling against two of the men when one of the residents yelled.

"Detective! Look!"

Elliot turned toward the building, hoping against hope. He and the crowd watched in disbelief as Olivia came running out of the building, flying towards the group just seconds before a loud rumble was heard and the building collapsed. She ran directly into his arms, nearly knocking him over, and he wrapped his arms around her. She gasped to catch her breath, leaning against him, and he became aware of the child in her arms.

"Liv? Hey, you okay?" He asked softly, and she looked up at him. Struggling to take a deep breath, she nodded, then looked at the little girl she held. The child still had her face buried in Olivia's shoulder, but she was cradling her right arm against her chest. "Let's get you two checked out okay?" Olivia nodded again and let him lead them over to one of the waiting ambulances. One of the paramedics helped her sit in the back of the bus, then moved to take the child from her. Instantly the little girl began crying hoarsely, and tightened her grip around Olivia's neck.

"Let her be." Olivia told him softly, and the paramedic nodded. He handed her an oxygen mask, and strapped one around the little girl's face.

"You hurt anywhere detective?" The paramedic asked, and Olivia shook her head, trying to shift the child on her lap, but wincing. "Let me see." The paramedic examined her, then wrapped some gauze around her right hand. "Looks like you burned your hand a little there Detective. I'm gonna check out the little one, then we'll take you both to the hospital and get that treated." Olivia nodded silently, as he examined the child. When he was done, he stepped back and addressed both Olivia and Elliot. "Looks like she's got a broken arm. She'll need an X-ray to see how severe it is though. And you've got first degree burns on that hand that'll need some treatment." He told them, helping Olivia to move back into the ambulance farther. "You riding Detective?" He asked, and Elliot jumped up beside them as the paramedic closed the door behind him and the bus sped away.

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Hope you liked it. I have a general idea of what I want to do, but I have no idea how long it'll take to get there. Please review, and I might get there quicker! 


	2. Silent

Alright well here's me trying for another chapter. Unlike my other stories, I'm writing this one off the cuff. What I mean is, I haven't prewritten anything. I've been mulling around on the idea for awhile and have a general idea of what I'm doing, but I haven't written it out word for word yet like I usually do for my bigger stories. I haven't decided how long this one's gonna be, so don't panic on me yet, but I'll let you know when I get a better idea. I'm so glad you're all liking this story, I wasn't sure how it would turn out. Remember, this isn't based on anything in the seasons really. And I haven't seen the new episodes yet, so don't give them away! I've been recording them since I've been up at school, so I hope to watch them over the weekends...so no spoilers! Now, on with the story :)

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Chapter 2 -- Silent

Elliot was pacing the waiting room when the rest of the squad arrived at the hospital.

"How are they?" Cragen asked as he approached, Munch and Fin close on his heels.

"I'm not entirely sure. Liv's got first and second degree burns on her hands, and the little girl's got a broken arm, I think. They treated Liv already, but she went back to X-ray with the little girl." Elliot told them, running a hand over his head. All three men breathed a sigh of relief and settled into nearby chairs to wait. After a few minutes of silence, Elliot joined them, sitting with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. "She almost didn't make it out." He said softly. The others looked up sharply, exchanging looks. Wordlessly, Munch and Fin stood and walked down the hall, giving their captain a moment with the distraught detective. Cragen took a seat beside him, placing a steady and comforting hand on his back.

"She made it though Elliot. That's what's important." Cragen told him. Elliot started to respond, but quickly interrupted himself, standing when the doctor entered the room.

"Your little girl has a broken arm. We put a cast on it, but we'd like to keep her for a few hours to make sure she's okay otherwise." The doctor told them. "Detective Benson is in with her now. You can join her if you'd like." The sentence was barely out of his mouth before Elliot was halfway down the hall to the room the doctor had indicated.

As Elliot reached the doorway, he stopped short. The sight in front of him took his breath away. The little girl lay asleep in the bed closest to the door. Olivia sat in a chair beside the bed, her good hand holding the little girl's uninjured hand, and her head resting on her arm, watching her. Looking between the two, Elliot was struck by the resemblance between the two. Snapping himself back to reality, he stepped into the room, clearing his throat as he approached the bed. Olivia looked up and smiled weakly at him as he reached her side, kneeling next to her and placing his hand over hers.

"How are you holding up?" He asked gently.

"Okay." She answered, her voice still hoarse from the smoke. Standing quickly, he reached over and grabbed a second chair, pulling it up beside hers and the bed.

"How's she doing?"

"Physically? Her arm is broken, and she's got a lot of smoke inhalation. Emotionally. She's scared to death. She wouldn't let go of my hand the whole time they were examining her. I had to wear a vest and go into the X-ray with her. She's not talking El." Olivia answered slowly.

"She's traumatized." Elliot stated, and she nodded.

"She watched her mom die, Elliot." Olivia whispered, giving him a pained look, and he took a deep breath. "I think she was rushing to get out and fell down the stairs. She had a huge gash in the back of her head and wasn't breathing when I found them."

"God." Elliot muttered, rubbing a hand over his eyes. "She tell you her name yet? We're gonna need to find somewhere for her to stay until we can find some family." Olivia just shook her head.

"She hasn't said a word yet. She's only cried." Olivia told him sadly, starting when the girl started whimpering and shifting on the bed. Moving quickly, Olivia stood and leaned over the child. "Hey honey, it's okay." She said when the girl's eyes flew opened. The child gasped and burst into tears, and Olivia leaned closer, wrapping her arms around her. The girl's arm wrapped around her neck, and Olivia sat on the edge of the bed, pulling her into her lap and rocking her gently.

An hour or so later, Cragen came into the room, looking tired and worn. Olivia still sat on the bed with the girl, rubbing her back and telling her little stories. Elliot was sitting in the chair by the bed, adding to the stories and teasing the two girls. Both detectives looked up though when Cragen cleared his throat.

"They're getting ready to release her." He told them softly, trying not to distract the little girl. "I've been on the phone with Child Protective Services for the past hour, trying to find out what we need to do. Here's the problem though, both emergency shelters are full tonight. I'm not feeling all that fond of putting her in the system without a name. Is she talking yet?" Olivia shook her head and he sighed. "Alright, give me a little while and I'll figure something out."

"I'll take her." Olivia said simply, and both men turned to look at her.

"Olivia-" Cragen began.

"She's already attached to me. And no way are we sticking her in the cribs until we can find her family. I'll take her home with me. I'll file for temporary foster care if I have to." She said determinedly.

Elliot and Cragen exchanged a look before Cragen shrugged. "Fine. I'll call CPS and let them know what we're doing. The doctor will be in in a few minutes to give you last minute instructions." He walked to the door, pausing before leaving. "Be careful Olivia." He added meaningfully before leaving.

When he'd left, Elliot turned to Olivia. "Liv-"

"Yes I know what I'm doing Elliot." She interrupted, turning to him with a small smile. "And yes that was what you were going to say." She told him knowingly.

"I just don't want you to get hurt, if you get attached and then she has to leave..." He said softly.

"I'll be fine Elliot." She told him, in voice that clearly said the conversation was over. He shrugged, dropping the subject as the doctor walked in.

"Hey there kiddo." The doctor said as he walked in. "Looks like you're all ready to go. We're just going to have Detective Benson sign a few things, and then I have a few rules for you okay?" The little girl nodded as he handed a clipboard to Olivia. "Okay, Detective you should listen to this too. Rule #1: No getting your pretty cast wet okay?" The girl nodded solemnly. "Rule #2: No playground equipment for a while, and Rule #3: No itching with pencils." He finished with a smile, and Elliot chuckled. "Alright, well as soon as you're done with the forms, you can check her out. Just get her back here or to her doctor in about two weeks and we'll see how that arm is coming. Now, Detective Benson." She looked up questioningly. "You're going to need to be taking it easy with that hand. Let it heal, but be watching for infections. And it's probably going to be giving you some trouble. You can take a Tylenol, but do you have someone who can be around to give you a hand when you need it?"

"We've got that covered." Elliot answered for her, and she shot him a dirty look.

"Okay. I'll leave you guys to get ready to go. Have a good rest of the evening."

"You've got that covered?" Olivia asked the moment the doctor was gone.

"If you don't want me to stay with you, then call Casey, but you need to have someone there with you. Between you and a toddler, you've got two functioning hands, you're gonna need some help." He pointed out.

"Fine," she laughed. "Why don't you give me a hand now then? Take this to the front desk." She handed him the clipboard. "And if you could get us a cab while I get her back into some regular clothes, that would be fantastic." She smiled sweetly as he smirked and left the room to do as she'd asked.

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Sorry it's taken me a while to update. Please review though, and let me know what you think! 


	3. In the Night

Thanks for the amazing reviews! I was so excited to open my email the day after I posted to find 10 reviews! You guys doubled what I got the first chapter! Keep it up okay? LOL. As for the comment about CPS actually being ACS, it very well could be. I'm not from New York, so I don't know what it's called there. I've always known it as Child Protective Services, so that's what I called it. Thanks for the info though, I always appreciate constructive criticism. I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story...so here's chapter 3!

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Chapter 3 --- In the Night

With her right hand resting in a sling, Olivia fumbled to unlock her apartment door with her left hand, finally succeeding and holding the door open for Elliot to carry the sleeping girl inside. Closing the door behind them, she tossed her keys on the table by the door and slowly peeled off her jacket, hanging it up by the door.

"Where should I lay her down?" Elliot whispered.

"Umm...put her on my bed for now." She told him. "I'll have to set up the guest room for her later." She sank onto the couch, closing her eyes while he tucked the child in. A few minutes later he reemerged and sank onto the couch beside her. "Thanks."

"No problem." He responded, leaning his head back against the couch, turning his head to look at her. "How you holding up?"

"Mmm. Okay. Tired." She mumbled, eyes still shut.

"Go get changed before you fall asleep out here." Elliot chuckled, nudging her shoulder. "Go on Liv." Mumbling, she slowly stood up and made her way to her room, closing the door behind her. Elliot shut his eyes and sighed, relaxing back into the couch.

"Um. El?" He opened his eyes and turned to see her standing in her bedroom doorway, looking uncomfortable.

"Yeah?"

"I need a little help." She mumbled, looking away and turning back into her room. Elliot stood and followed her inside, stopping short when she turned her back on him, lifting her shirt. "I, uh, can't get the hook."

Elliot swallowed hard. His partner of eight years, the woman he was undeniably attracted to, was asking him to unhook her bra. With a slightly shaky hand, Elliot reached out and released the hook, letting his hand lightly brush the skin of her back. She took a sudden breath and he watched as goosebumps appeared and she shivered slightly. Taking a deep breath of his own, he turned on his heel and left the room. A hand to her chest, holding the bra in place, Olivia turned, watching as he fled the room. She took another deep breath and closed the door behind him, finishing getting ready for bed. What was going on with me? She thought. _This is my partner...my amazing, single partner. _She shook her head. _Don't think that way Olivia_. She pushed the thoughts from her mind and quickly got dressed. Wrapping a robe around herself, she slipped quietly out of the room and closed the door behind her, careful not to wake the little girl. Clearing her throat, she sat down in the armchair, across from the couch, where he lay with a hand over his eyes.

"You should go to sleep, Liv." He spoke softly, startling her.

"I'm going to. I just-" She hesitated and he removed his arm, sitting up slightly. "Thanks." She smiled shyly and stood up. "Goodnight El."

"Night Liv."

Elliot awoke hours later to the sound of screams. Jumping from the bed in the guest room, he flew out of the bedroom, throwing open the door to Olivia's bedroom. She was sitting up in the bed, leaning over the child's flailing body.

"Honey, honey wake up!" She grasped the girl gently by the shoulders. The little girl gasped, flying up and into Olivia's arms. Elliot slowly approached Olivia and the sobbing child. He sat on the edge of the bed placing a gentle hand on Olivia's back.

"She okay?" He asked softly when Olivia turned.

"Nightmare." She answered, rubbing the child's back as she slowly calmed down and snuggled into Olivia's chest, whimpering softly. "She wake you up?"

"Yeah. It's okay." He sat back on the mattress. "You okay?"

"Me? I'm fine. Why?"

"Liv." He chided gently.

"El. Really." She gave him a look before glancing down at the child in her arms. The girl had fallen back to sleep. Laying her down agains the pillow, Olivia pulled the blanket up around her gently before turning to him. "I'm fine, tired, but fine." She moved across the bed, slipping under the covers next to the little girl. "I'm going to sleep now, lay down if you want." She turned on her side, facing the child, and closed her eyes. Elliot's eyes widened slightly, and he hesitated momentarily, as if weighing his decision, before sliding under the covers on the other side of the child. Yawning, he closed his eyes falling back to sleep easily.

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I know, I know, it's really short. I just wanted to get something up after the weekend, because it'll probably be a little while before I'm able to post anymore. Review please! 


	4. Toddler Talk

I am so sorry for the long wait. I am in my freshman year of college so things have gotten a little overwhelming lately. I'll do my best to keep updating as often and regularly as possible, but sometimes it just won't be able to happen.

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Chapter 4 -- Toddler Talk

The next morning Elliot awoke to a heavy weight on his arm. Grudgingly opening his eyes, he found himself face to face with the little girl, still sound asleep. Olivia was also asleep on the other side of the child, a hand resting gently on the child's back. Carefully sliding his arm out from under the toddler's head, he slide from the bed and crept out to the kitchen, closing the door to the bedroom behind him. As he moved around the kitchen, grabbing things to make breakfast, he called the captain.

"Cragen"

"Hey Cap."

"How are they?" Cragen asked immediatly.

"Sleeping. The girl had a nightmare in the middle of the night, so we were up with her, but she and Liv are sound asleep right now." Elliot informed him.

"Good. Tell Liv she's got the week off. She's gotta let that hand heal. And we need to get that little girl comfortable enough to give us her name."

"Right. Anything else sir?"

"Not now. Get her name as soon as you possibly can, and keep me updated."

"Yes sir." They hung up, and Elliot stood in the kitchen for a moment. Looking between the stove and the bedroom door, he made a decision. He put away the things he'd pulled out already and went back to bed. Climbing back into the bed beside the girls, he relaxed into the pillow, smiling softly when the child automatically snuggled into his side, and falling asleep.

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All three awoke a few hours later, just in time to make lunch. While Olivia tried to find something the girl would eat, Elliot stepped into the hallway to make some calls. Casey arrived a half hour later, and the three adults set about creating a child friendly environment in Olivia's apartment. Liv and the girl supervised the two workers, since they could not do much with their injured hands. Casey and Elliot painted the room warm colors, while Olivia played games with the little girl in the living room. While the paint was drying, they took a little field trip to the department store to buy some clothes and furniture that were more child appropriate. Olivia and Casey dragged Elliot down aisle after aisle, picking out outfits and toys for the little girl, laughing at the child's excitement, and his complaints .

Casey returned to her own apartment hours later, once Olivia's guest room had been transformed into the perfect bedroom for the toddler. Elliot got called out on a case shortly there after, and after much convincing finally left to join the guys at the station. That evening the girl went to sleep easily, cuddling her new teddy bear and snuggled down into the blankets. Olivia sat on the couch, watching the evening news, struggling to keep her eyes open but finally giving in and letting them drift closed. When she opened them again, David Letterman was playing softly in the background and there was a small hand pulling on the sleeve of her shirt.

"Hey honey, you okay?" She whispered, lifting the girl up to sit her on her lap.

"I scared." Came the whispered reply, so soft Olivia wasn't sure she'd actually spoken.

"What?"

"I scared." She whispered again and buried her face in Olivia's chest.

"Oh honey, it's okay." She rubbed the child's back softly until she sat up. "What are you scared of sweetie?"

"It roars." She said softly.

"What does honey?" Olivia asked. The child buried her face again, and Olivia almost missed her mumbled reply.

"Fire."

Olivia sighed, "I know honey. But it's all gone now, see. No more fire." The child sat up slowly and looked around. "What's your name baby?" Olivia asked her softly.

The girl looked up and smiled proudly. "Mia Nicole Morales." She said with a nod. "I three half."

"You're three and a half?" She nodded again. "Wow, you're such a big girl." Olivia told her with a smile and a hug, laughing when Mia yawned. "You sleepy?" Mia nodded. "Come on then, even big girls need to go to bed." She lifted the child into her arms and carried her back into the guest room. Laying her down, she pulled the blankets over her and tucked her in, sitting on the edge of the bed and handing her the new teddy bear.

"Tank you for bear."

"You're welcome. Does he have a name?" Mia shook her head. "That's okay, you can name him later." Olivia leaned down, kissing her forehead, then stood.

"Miss Livia?"

"Yeah Mia?"

"Lay wif me?" Came the soft request.

"Okay. I'll stay til you fall asleep." Olivia slid onto the bed beside her, waiting as she snuggled into her chest. "Night Mia."

"Night-night."

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Olivia woke the next morning, nearly falling off the edge of the small bed. Carefully untangling herself from the covers so she wouldn't wake up Mia, she crept quietly into the kitchen. Starting a pot of coffee, she pulled her cell phone out.

"Stabler."

"Hey El." She stuck the phone under her ear as she pulled things out of the refrigerator.

"Liv. How's it going?"

"Good actually. She's talking." She told him with a smile. "Her name is Mia Nicole Morales, and she's three and a half."

He laughed as he imagined the way the child must have told her. "Great, I'll get Munch to start checking birth records. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine. Hey, I'll probably be in at some point today. I want to run her prints through the system."

"You think if the mom took such care in teaching her her full name, she might have had her printed?" Elliot ran with her thought.

"Yeah. What do you think?"

"I'd say it's as good of shot as any."

"Great. I'll see you in a few hours then."

"Okay, see you Liv." They hung up the phones, and Olivia went to her room, changing so she could get Mia ready to eat breakfast and go in to the station.

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Wow, so sorry it took so long to get it up. Now that she's talking the story line will move a little faster. Hope you enjoyed it. Review please! 


	5. Information

Once again, I apologize for how long it's taken me to update. My only excuse is that I am a college freshman with very limited free time, and it's taken me this long to actually write a chapter. I promise I am putting an effort into keeping up with this story, and my others, but I can only ask that you be patient and bear with me here. Thanks so much...and enjoy the story!

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Chapter 5 --- Information

After eating a quick bite of breakfast, Olivia got Mia dressed and ready to go, a slightly difficult task with Mia's cast, and Olivia's own healing hand.

"L'via? Where we goin'?" Mia asked as they exited the cab they'd taken to the precinct, and she took Olivia's hand.

"We're going to my work so we can get a few things."

"How come?" She asked as she swung their connected hands back and forth.

"Well, because I need to take some of my work home with me."

"But why?" Mia asked innocently as they entered the elevator.

Olivia laughed, "Because I'm going to stay home with you." The elevator bell noted their arrival as the doors slid open on their floor. Mia held tightly to Olivia's hand, suddenly becoming shy as they made their way into the bullpen. The only people there were Fin and Munch, who were sitting at their desks locked in a heated but hushed arguement. Olivia led Mia to her desk, boosting her up into the chair and setting her own things on her desk. Behind them, Fin and Munch broke off their argument when they noticed Olivia with the kid.

"Hey Livia." Fin greeted her, coming over to her desk. "Who's this?" He smiled.

Olivia looked down at her with a smile, but Mia jumped down from Olivia's chair to hide her face behind Olivia's leg. She raised an eyebrow at Fin, crouching down to pull Mia around to her side and wrap a protective arm around her shoulders. "This is Mia Morales. She's staying with me for a little while. Until we find her f-a-m-i-l-y." She told Fin.

"Ah." He kneeled beside Olivia, getting down on the girl's level. "Hey Mia. My name's Fin, I work with Olivia. And that's John, over there." He told her, pointing behind him to his partner who waved pleasantly.

"These are my friends Mia, can you say hi." Olivia prodded gently.

"Hi." Mia whispered. Olivia wrapped her arm around the girl's waist and stood up, lifting her to rest on her hip. Mia laid her head on Olivia's shoulder, warily watching John and Fin. Olivia leaned back onto her desk, chatting with Fin and Munch, giving Mia time to warm up to the two men. After a few minutes Mia was smiling, but still holding tightly to Olivia.

"Hey Mia, check this out." Fin reached behind her ear, pulling his hand back to reveal a shiny quarter. Mia giggled, sitting up straighter in Olivia's arms, and took the proffered quarter.

"Again." She told him with a shy smile.

"Again?" He asked and she nodded happily. He reached behind her other ear, once again pulling away with a shiny quarter. Mia laughed as she took the second quarter, and Olivia smiled gratefully at Fin.

"Hey Mia, honey?" Mia looked up at Olivia. "I need to go talk to my boss for a minute. Can you stay out here with Fin? I'll bet he can show you more tricks." Mia nodded, wiggling to get down. When Olivia set her feet on the floor, she took Fin's hand, much to his surprise. Olivia laughed, "Okay, be good, and I'll be right back." As she made her way to Cragen's office she saw Mia pulling Fin back to his desk and jumping onto his chair. With a smile, she knocked on the Captain's door.

"Come on in Liv." He told her as he opened the door. Looking over her shoulder, he laughed as he saw the three year old spinning in Fin's desk chair. "How's she doing? She seems like she's warming up okay."

Olivia leaned against his desk. "Yeah, she seems like she's doing okay. Shy at first, but she warms up after a few minutes. She's still having pretty intense nightmares though. I know it's only been a few days, but I'd like Huang to talk to her if he gets a chance."

"Absolutly. Are we looking for her family yet?" Cragen asked.

"Yeah, I gave Elliot her name and age this morning, and he was supposed to be searching for her records. I also wanted to check her prints. Her mom took great care to teach her her whole name, so there's a possibility she had her printed, and we might have more information in our system."

"Makes sense," Cragen nodded, "Okay, go with it."

"Will do. Have you seen Elliot, Cap?" She asked, pausing at the door.

"Not since this morning."

"Okay, I'll try his cell. Thanks Cap." She walked out of the office, smiling to see Mia actually sitting on Fin's lap and playing with something on his desk. "Hey guy's, how's it going?" She asked with a smile as she reached the desks.

"I colowing L'via!" Mia exclaimed, showing her the paper she'd been scribbling on with Fin's pens and some colorful highlighters they'd mananged to find.

"Wow, that's a beautiful picture, sweetie." She grinned at Fin over her head and he shrugged. "Thanks for keeping an eye on her."

"No problem."

"Have you seen-"

"Ewiot!" Mia squealed, jumping off Fin's lap and interrupting Olivia as she ran towards him.

"Whoa there miss Mia!" Elliot laughed, easily catching the toddler and swinging her up into his arms. Olivia laughed when Fin raised an eyebrow at the girl's reaction.

"Hey El."

"Hey Liv, hey guys. How's it goin'?" Elliot greeted them as he got to their desks. Mia tugged on his sleeve and he tilted his head down for her to whisper in his ear. After a moment he laughed. "He did, did he?" He raised an eyebrow in Fin's direction. "Didn't know you knew magic Tutuola."

"Oh can it, you-"

"Hey, hey, little ears here boys. Watch your language." Olivia interrupted them with a pointed look at the child sitting happily in Elliot's arms.

Fin glared at Elliot, "It's something I use only when merited."

"Magic is such a conspiracy anyway; all designed to pull the wool over the eyes of those gullible enough to believe in it." Munch added.

"Ewiot? Wat's guwibull?" Mia asked looking up at him innocently. "And why would you put wool on your eyes?"

"Let's hear you answer this one!" Fin crowed and Olivia whacked his arm. "Ow!"

"Hush." She admonished Fin. "Mia, honey, it's just a saying. John was just trying to be funny." She gave Munch a pointed look. "Now, Elliot and I need to go talk about a few things sweetie. Why don't you color another picture, and we'll be right back okay?"

Mia looked down at her picture and then back up at Olivia. "I don't wanna." She pouted. "He doesn't have markers." She told Olivia, and Munch snorted back a laugh.

"Okay, why don't you have John show you his badge? I bet he'd let you hold it. We'll be fast okay?"

Mia seemed to consider this before nodding. "Otay." Elliot placed her feet on the floor and she went over to Munch. John looked up as she stopped next to his desk, putting her hand out expectantly. Fin cracked up as Munch raised his eyebrows, reaching into his pocket to pull out his badge and hand it to the small girl. Olivia chuckled softly to herself as she followed Elliot to one of the interview rooms to go over what he had found.

"So what did you find?" She asked the minute he'd closed the door behind them.

Elliot gestured to the table, pulling a chair out for her before sitting in his own. "Plenty." He told her as he opened one of the files he had stacked on the table. "Hospital birth records, DMV records," he paused, "Death certificate."

"Death cert-" Olivia started.

"Hold on a minute. Let me start at the beginning, we'll get there I promise." Elliot assured her and she closed her mouth.

"Mia Nicole Morales, born May 19, 2002, to Christine Maria Morales and Eddie Louis Morales, at St. Katherines Hospital. They lived together a house in Jersey, until Private First Class Eddie Morales was deployed to Iraq in 2004. His unit was ambushed in Kuwait six months later." He paused.

"The death certificate." It was more a statement than a question.

"Yes. Apparently Christine couldn't afford the Jersey house without him, so she and Mia moved here to New York, into that apartment." He watched Olivia for any reaction.

After a moment of silence, Olivia looked up at him. "Any extended family?"

"Eddie's mom died when he was a kid, it seems, and his father passed away two years ago. Christine's parents are still alive and living in New York." He told her hesitantly, and watched as her face fell. "We have to contact them Liv. They've probably seen the news by now, and are worried sick."

"I know Elliot. I'm not an idoit." Olivia snapped, then sighed. "I'm sorry, I just-"

"You got attatched." He supplied, and she gave him a dirty look.

"I suppose, but don't gloat." She sighed again, rubbing a hand over the back of her neck. "You'd better call them today. Give them time to make some arrangements, and I need to prepare Mia."

"Sure." Elliot walked with her to the door of the interview room, stopping her before she opened the door. "Hey, are you gonna be okay?"

She smiled halfheartedly, "Yeah, I'll be fine." She opened the door, quickly joining Mia and the other detectives. She took a deep breath when Mia jumped off Munch's lap and ran over to her, wrapping her arms around Olivia's legs. Olivia picked her up and hugged her.

"You done wif your work?" Mia asked hopefully, and Olivia had to smile.

"Yes honey. I'm done, we can go now. How would you like to go to the park?"

"Reawy?"

"Yep. Say goodbye to everyone." Olivia prompted.

"Byb-bye Fin, bye-bye bye John." She waved to both men, and then spotted Elliot. "Bye-bye Ewiot! I go to park!"

Elliot chuckled. "You have fun then. Bye Mia." Olivia nodded goodbye to the men and carried Mia out of the station.

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I know it's a little short...but I think that's the way these chapters are going to have to be, unfortunatly. Hopefully though, that means that I'll be able to crank out more chapters faster. Who knows? 

Review please!


	6. For a Limited Time Only

Hey look I'm updating! Hopefully this chapter is up to par...I've been writing chapters at like 1AM...the only time when I actually have time to write. Hope you enjoy...

Still the same day...

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**Chapter Six --- For a Limited Time Only**

Mia fell asleep in the cab on the way home from the park. Olivia carried her inside, laying her down on her bed and removing her shoes before tucking her in for her nap. She fixed herself lunch, making sure to prepare something for Mia that she could finish making quickly when the child woke up. Olivia stood at her kitchen counter, staring at the salad and sandwich she'd prepared for herself. Suddenly frustrated, she swept her hand across the counter, knocking her plastic water cup over and onto the floor. With a sigh she grabbed some paper towels and mopped up the mess before checking to be sure her outburst hadn't disturbed Mia.

She tried to occupy herself around the house, keeping her mind off the subject at hand. She desperately did not want to think about losing Mia. She was flipping channels on her television when her phone rang. She dove for it, desperate for the distraction as well as to keep it from waking up Mia.

"Benson." She answered softly.

"Hey, it's me."

"Oh hey El." She settled back onto the couch to talk. "What's up?"

"I have some news you're probably not going to like." He said slowly and she could feel herself tense.

"What is it?"

"I just got off the phone with Maria Rodriguez, Mia's grandmother."

Olivia drew in a quick breath. "Already? El you were supposed to give me more time. To prepare her."

"I know hon, but we had to let her know that her granddaughter is okay. She was practically frantic."

"I assume she wants to see her." She said, ignoring the pet name out of annoyance, and self preservation.

"Yes," he hesitated. "She'll be in on Wednesday." He said slowly.

"Wednesday?" Olivia cried, a hint of something close to despair creeping into her voice. "That's only two days away Elliot!"

"I know Liv! But we can't keep her away from Mia forever!" He shot back.

"Why Not!" She retorted, then groaned. "I know, I know." She sighed. "I don't want to give her up El." She whispered.

"I know Liv, to tell you the truth, I don't either. But Mrs. Rodriguez is Mia's family and, barring any unforseen circumstances, we have to let her go." He finished softly and paused, hearing something sounding suspiciously like a sniffle from her end of the line. "Liv?"

"I'm here." She wiped at her eyes. "Look, I have to go El. Mia will be waking up soon, and she'll want lunch."

"Okay. I'll be over later, if that's okay with you. Maybe I can take you two out for dinner?" He offered.

On the other end of the line she smiled, "I think we'd like that." She told him softly. "I'll see you tonight."

"Bye Liv."

When they hung up, Olivia composed herself before dragging herself into the kitchen. She placed Mia's cheese sandwich in the skillet and placed it on the back burner. Checking the heat, she headed down the hall to Mia's room. Opening the door slowly, she peeked in to see her playing with her teddy bear on the bed.

"Does he have a name yet?" Olivia asked softly, opening the door the rest of the way when Mia looked up with a smile and a nod. "Oh really? What is it?" Olivia sat down next to her and pulled her onto her lap for a hug.

"Defective Twizzer." Mia said proudly, and Olivia had to bite her cheek to keep from laughing.

"That's an interesting name. How'd you come up with that one sweetie?"

"Twizzer like the candy I got today, and defective like you and Ewiot." She explained innocently.

"Ah, detective." Olivia said in realization.

"Dat's what I said."

"And who gave you candy Miss Mia?" Olivia asked, tickling her until she was giggling.

"Mr. Don." She giggled.

"Mr. Don? Oh he did, did he?" Olivia laughed, lifting Mia with her good arm. "Do you still have room for lunch after all that candy, little girl?"

"Yeah!" Mia laughed.

"You have room for grilled cheese?" Olivia asked in mock skepticism.

"I love gwilled cheese!" Mia exclaimed as Olivia carried her into the kitchen and placed her in a chair at the table.

"Well then, it's a good thing that's what we're having isn't it?" Olivia smiled as she flipped the sandwich, turning to look over her shoulder at Mia. "How about some apple while it finishes cooking?" She asked as she sliced an apple into edible pieces for the child.

Lunch was finished fairly quickly as Mia scarfed down the fruit and sandwich. She played quietly with her doll on the floor of the living room as Olivia cleaned up the kitchen. Olivia watched for a moment while the child entertained herself and made up her mind. Grabbing the phone, she dialed quickly.

"Ms. Bryce please." She waited, anxiously tapping her fingers on the kitchen counter until another voice came on the line. "Simone? It's Olivia...I need your help."

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Olivia played with Mia for a long time that afternoon, only setting her up with a movie when Simone called her back a few hours later. After getting off the phone and checking on Mia who was giggling at Finding Nemo, Olivia slipped into her office. Leaving the door propped open so she'd hear if there was a problem, she began digging through her files, gradually creating a few large stacks. She was up to her elbows in balled up pages of a legal pad when her doorbell rang. Stretching, she made her way to the door, chuckling to herself at Mia's rapt attention to the final scenes of her movie. Opening the door, she found her partner standing in front of her, dressed rather nicely and smiling sheepishly. In one hand he held a bouquet of lilies, flowers he knew were her favorites. In the other, a Barbie.

"El." She smiled in spite of herself.

"These are for you." He told her with a smile of his own, handing them to her as she opened the door farther and he stepped inside.

"Thank you, they're beautiful." Olivia sniffed at them, then looked up and laughed. "The doll's for Mia, I presume."

"Hi Ewiot!" Mia called from the other room, her bare feet making soft padding noises as she joined them in the hallway. "I wiked Nemo Livy." She said with a smile, wrapping an arm around Olivia's lower leg.

"You got to watch Finding Nemo?" Elliot asked, crouching down beside her, and Mia nodded with a smile. "Lucky. That's one of my favorite movies."

"We can watch it again!" Mia offered excitedly, and Elliot could have sworn he heard Olivia stifle a groan.

"Maybe another time honey." Elliot assured her. "Right now you and Livy need to get dressed." He told her in a mock whisper, grinning up at Olivia over her head.

"But why?" Mia asked in confusion. "I wearing clothes."

"I know baby, but you get to wear a special outfit for dinner tonight."

"Can I pick it out?" Mia became excited.

"Why don't you go get some outfits out and we'll pick one out together." He told her and stood up, chuckling when she ran towards her room. He turned, smirking at the expression on Olivia's face. "Yes, you too Livy."

"Elliot. What are you doing?"

"Taking two of my favorite girls out for dinner." He told her honestly. "Now, go change. I'll worry about getting her ready."

Olivia sighed, hiding her smile as she headed for her own bedroom. "Where are we going?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out when we get there." He smirked and she glared.

"Well how am I supposed to-"

"Wear something nice. A dress maybe." He interrupted with a smile, before following Mia to her room, leaving Olivia standing in her own bedroom doorway feeling slightly puzzled and a little steam rolled.

As she stood in front of her closet, trying to choose something to wear, Elliot was in Mia's room, trying to help the child choose her own dress. Finally deciding on an outfit, Elliot helped her pull the pink cotton dress over her head, tying the black satin ribbon gently around her waist and helping her slip her feet into the black Mary Janes Olivia had bought for her on a whim. With Mia dressed and ready, after a quick run of the brush through her curls, Elliot presented her with the Barbie doll he'd bought for her. He helped her get it out of the packaging, then watched in amusement as she dove into play with the doll.

Meanwhile, Olivia had finally chosen a dress. Deciding her classic little black dress would be her safest and best bet, she set about getting ready as quickly as possible. She stepped into her favorite, and most comfortable pair of black heels. She ran a brush through her hair, spraying it to keep the fly-away in place. On a whim she applied a little perfume, dabbing it on all her pulse points, before grabbing one of her nicer black purses to transfer her necessities into. After completing the transfer, she made her way to Mia's room, slowly pushing the door open to find Mia and Elliot sitting on the bedroom floor, the Barbie and "Twizzer" having an animated conversation. With a smile she leaned against the doorframe and watched them play, wishing she had a camera, all too conscious of the tug she felt on her heart. Reluctantly, she cleared her throat, smiling when both looked up at her, smiles evident on their own faces.

"I think we're ready. You look beautiful Mia."

"Ewiot gotted me a Barbie Livia!" Mia exclaimed, running over to show her the doll as Elliot stood and brushed himself off.

"I see." She bent down and hugged her, admiring the doll. "Did you say thank you?" She prodded gently.

"Tank you Ewiot." Mia turned to him dutifully, grinning when he crouched beside her again.

"You are very welcome Miss Mia." He kissed her forehead before straightening. "Now, ladies. We'd better get going. I don't know about you, but I'm hungry." He winked at Olivia and she felt her stomach clench. She smiled back in a sort of delayed reaction.

"Me too!" Mia exclaimed, grabbing Elliot's arm and leading him out of her room and to the door, leaving Olivia to follow them, feeling slightly shaken by the feelings this different side of him was evoking.

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The three of them had a great dinner at a nice family friendly restaurant Elliot's sister had found the last time she'd been in the city. During their dinner, Olivia found herself fighting images of this little "family" they formed, her and Elliot playing parents together. She was finding it even harder to do as the night wound to a close. After their dinner, Elliot carried the now exhausted Mia on their short walk to Olivia's apartment from the car. Olivia let them into the apartment, hitting the button on her flashing message machine as Elliot put Mia to bed.

"Hi Olivia, this is Simone..." Came the voice on the machine. As Elliot walked back into the room Olivia quickly hit the save button.

"Simone? The children's rights lawyer?" Elliot asked, recognizing the voice.

Olivia sighed, sinking into the couch and toeing off her heels. "Yeah." She didn't elaborate.

"What aren't you telling me Olivia." Elliot prodded, sitting beside her while he loosened his tie.

She laughed wryly. "You know me too well Elliot," she told him, rubbing a hand over her eyes. "I called her for advice, and to get the names of a few good family lawyers." She watched his reaction from the corner of her eye.

"Family lawyers? Liv, what are you doing?"

"Nothing, yet. I just-" She sighed again, standing and pacing her living room. "I want to be prepared, in case. In case there's some way I could get Mia."

"Oh Liv." He followed her, placing a hand on her shoulder to stop her pacing. "Honey, Mia belongs with her family."

She gave him a dirty look. "I know. I just- If there's any chance..." She trailed off.

"I know." He pulled her to him for a hug, both lingering in the other's arms.

"I don't want to lose her." Olivia whispered, looking up at him, suddenly aware of how close their faces were.

"I know." He whispered again, his words suddenly meaning something else as he brought one hand from her back to cup her chin, tilting it towards him again and angling his mouth above hers, slowly lowering his head until their lips just barely touched. She gave a soft gasp, her eyes fluttering closed as he lowered his head again, kissing her and pulling her flush against him. Her hands came up to wrap around his neck as she opened her mouth beneath his, letting him deepen the kiss. After a few seconds they broke away.

"Oh. My." She breathed out, looking up at him with wide eyes.

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Well there ya go...you got your fluff and your beginnings of EO...now review!!!

A/N: I borrowed the defective detective concept from one other story I read...one where Liv had El's twins...I can't remember the author or the name of the story...so if it's yours let me know and I'll give you credit...in any case, this is me disclaiming the idea.


	7. Be Careful

There are really no words to describe how sorry I am that this has taken so long to update! I suppose my only excuse is that school took up so much time during the semester and now that summer is here I've got like seven stories that need updating and one new one bouncing around in my mind that I'm trying to put off until I've updated! Thanks so much for your continued interest in this story...I promise I'm making an effort to update more regularly!

This chapter is dedicated to **kinseyjo**, for reviewing every chapter of everyone of my SVU stories in about one day! You cracked me up and inspired me to get new chapters up!

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Chapter 7 --- Be Careful

_"I know." He whispered again, his words suddenly meaning something else as he brought one hand from her back to cup her chin, tilting it towards him again and angling his mouth above hers, slowly lowering his head until their lips just barely touched. She gave a soft gasp, her eyes fluttering closed as he lowered his head again, kissing her and pulling her flush against him. Her hands came up to wrap around his neck as she opened her mouth beneath his, letting him deepen the kiss. After a few seconds they broke away._

_"Oh. My." She breathed out, looking up at him with wide eyes._

"You can say that again." Elliot murmured softly, his hands on her arms rubbing gently.

"El, I-" She stammered, then broke off, replacing her hands behind his neck and pulling his head down to kiss him again. Deepening it instantly, she moaned into his mouth as his hands circled around her waist, pulling her even closer. Her hands slid down his chest and she began playing with the buttons of his dress shirt. Reluctantly he ended the kiss, pulling away without letting go of her waist.

"I want you Elliot." She told him bluntly, "To hell with the rules."

He chuckled, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her quickly. "You have no idea how glad I am to hear you say that."

"I have some idea," She trailed her hands from his chest to the waistband of his pants, grinning when he tensed and drew a sharp breath. With a groan he captured her mouth again, one hand tangled in her hair, the other bunching her dress.

They were so wrapped up in the kiss that neither heard the phone ring. After a few rings, Olivia's answering machine picked up. "Hi Olivia, it's Simone Bryce again. I talked to-"

Olivia reluctantly broke away from the kiss, taking a deep breath before picking up the phone. "Hi Simone." Elliot kept his hands on her waist, walking backwards and pulling her with him to the couch to sit down, pulling Olivia onto his lap and resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Oh hi Olivia. I hope I'm not calling too late?"

"No, it's okay. We actually just got in."

"Oh good, I'm glad I caught you then. I just got off the phone with a friend of mine, Kim Hall. She's one of the best family lawyers around. I've worked with her quite a few times, and she's agreed to take on your case, as a favor to me."

"Oh Simone, that's wonderful. Thank you. She really thinks I have a case?" Olivia asked hopefully.

"Depending on the competency of the grandparents, she thought you could have a fairly good chance at custody."

"Thank you so much Simone. I can't tell you how much I appreciate this." Olivia smiled at Elliot and he raised an eyebrow.

"Well it's the least I can do. I haven't seen you this passionate about something in awhile." Simone replied. "She must be a very special little girl."

"She is."

"I'm glad. Let me give you Kim's information. Give her a call tomorrow and she'll set up a time for you to come in and talk through all the details." Simone gave Olivia the attorney's office information, and Olivia thanked her again before hanging up the phone and turning to Elliot with a grin.

"She thinks I have a chance."

"I heard." Elliot said cautiously. "Olivia, I-"

"I know Elliot." Olivia sighed, resting her head on his shoulder. "I just- I need to hold onto the hope that I could-"

"Okay." He shushed her with a finger over her lips, then replaced it with his lips for a chaste kiss. "We'll call in the morning."

"Thank you El."

"You don't have to thank me." He told her sincerely. "I'm gonna be here for both of you, for as long as you'll let me."

Olivia blushed, sliding off of his lap and standing up. Taking his hand, she pulled him from the couch and let him to the doorway of her bedroom. Stopping there, she turned to face him. "Stay." She said softly and simply.

"Liv." His voice had taken a raw quality.

"Just- hold me El."

He nodded and followed her the rest of the way into her bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Hours later, Elliot slowly awoke. He lay spooned behind Olivia, his arm around her waist, her own resting over it, as if to secure him in place. She was sleeping peacefully, a content look on her face as she snuggled back into him. It took a few minutes before her realized what had woken him up. Raising his head slightly off the pillow, he saw the bedroom door was cracked open, Mia's small figure silhouetted in the light that streamed in from the hallway.

"Hey Miss Mia." He whispered and she looked up at him with wide eyes. "What's up?"

"It roars." She whispered and he could tell that she'd been crying.

"What does baby?" She looked down at the teddy bear she clutched and whispered something. "Come here kiddo." Carefully disentangling himself from Olivia, he sat up in bed, turning to face the girl who appeared on his side of the bed. "What roars Mia? He asked her again.

"F-fire." She looked up at him with tear filled eyes.

"Oh honey." Elliot sighed, looking over his shoulder he saw that Olivia was still asleep. "You wanna sleep up here with us tonight?" He offered and she nodded.

"Sweep in 'tween?" She asked in a tiny voice.

"Sure. Climb up kiddo." He held the blanket up and the little girl scrambled onto the bed and over him, snuggling into Olivia much like he'd been a few minutes earlier. With a sigh, he slid back under the covers, and Mia snuggled into him. Closing his eyes, he draped a protective arm across Mia, resting his hand on Olivia's waist and going back to sleep.

The next morning, Olivia opened her eyes to find her vision clouded by brown fur. Confused and still half asleep, she pulled her head back, and Mia's bear came into focus, as did the small hand that clutched it. She'd rolled over at some point in the night and she was now greeted by a heartwarming sight. Mia lay next to her, safely tucked under Elliot's arm, sucking two fingers in her mouth as she clutched that bear with the other hand. Olivia smiled, watching the two sleep peacefully for a few moments, until Elliot began to stir under her gaze. His eyes drifted open and he smiled slowly as he met her eyes.

"Hey." He murmured, his voice still thick with sleep.

"Morning." She whispered back. He cleared his throat softly, disentangling himself from the still sleeping Mia.

"She had a nightmare." He explained, looking down at the child.

"Roaring fire?" Olivia asked with a sigh.

"Yeah."

"It's been the same one every night, sometimes more than once." Olivia explained, sliding quietly from the bed, motioning for Elliot to follow her as she slipped out of the bedroom and into the hallway. She went into her kitchen quietly, starting the coffee maker and pulling down mugs. When she knew Elliot had followed her out of the room she continued, "Once we get things settled, I want to have Huang talk to her. Maybe see if we can get rid of those."

"Sounds like a good idea." Elliot nodded, grabbing bowls from the shelf as she pulled out a box of cereal. "You got a plan for today?"

She shrugged, pouring the cereal and grabbing the milk carton. "I need to call Simone's friend, and I guess I should prepare Mia for her grandparents." She said reluctantly and he smiled sympathetically.

"Liv-" He began.

She put her hand up to stop him. "Just- don't. I'm not ready to go there yet." She stood quickly, grabbing the carton of milk and putting it back in the fridge. He stood as well, stopping behind her as she closed the refrigerator door. She tensed and sighed, relaxing as he wrapped his arms around her waist, softly kissing her neck until she turned in his arms to kiss him on the mouth. She moaned into his mouth as he backed her into the refrigerator.

"Livy?"

The two sprang apart at the small voice, looking down to see Mia standing at the entrance to the kitchen. Elliot recovered first. "You hungry princess?" He asked, turning to focus on the child and trying to get control of himself. She giggled and nodded. "Well come on up and let's see what we've got for breakfast, shall we?" He scooped her up in one arm and opened the cupboards with the other. "Will Lucky Charms do, m'lady?" He asked in a goofy accent and Mia broke into peals of laughter. Olivia smiled and chuckled, watching as he effortlessly transitioned into the "daddy" role.

When breakfast was finished, the trio dressed and headed out for their days, Elliot to the station, and Olivia and Mia to the attorney Kim Hall's office. They planned to meet later for a lunch at the park, and to talk to Mia about her grandparents' impending visit.

Olivia sat in the attorney's waiting room with Mia on her lap. Mia rested her head back against Olivia's shoulder, two fingers in her mouth, her other hand twirling Olivia's hair around her finger.

"Livy? Wat we doin?"

Olivia sighed. "We're going to talk to a friend of mine about a few grown-up things, okay?"

"Then the park wif Ewiot?" Mia asked hopefully.

"Yes sweetie. Then we'll meet Elliot and go to the park."

"Ms. Benson?" The receptionist called. "You can go in now."

"Thank you." Olivia stood, shifting Mia to her hip and heading through the doors the woman had indicated.

"Detective Benson, I assume? I'm Kim Hall." She extended her hand in greeting and Olivia shook it pleasantly. Kim was tall and slender, her dark hair falling in gentle curls on her shoulders. She smiled warmly as she rubbed Mia's back. "And you must be the reason we're all here."

Olivia chuckled. "This is Mia Morales. I really appreciate you meeting with me." Olivia told her, taking a seat.

"Simone is a good friend of mine. I'm happy to do it." Kim nodded, sitting behind her desk. "Now, let's go over what we know."

Olivia nodded. "Mia sweetie, why don't you go do some of those puzzles while Kim and I talk okay?" Mia nodded and slipped off of Olivia's lap, wandering to the child's table in the corner of the office that held puzzles, books, and other small toys. Olivia turned back to Kim with a sigh. "I haven't talked to her about all this yet."

"I understand. Let's see what we have and if you decide to continue, you can talk to her."

"Right. Well, the only relatives my partner and I found are her grandparents on her mother's side. I really have no idea how competent they are."

"Alright. Well, for now, let's focus on you. We want to make sure that the courts will see you as the best possible parent for Mia, should it come to that. My office will look into the grandparents."

Two hours later, Olivia led Mia into the empty squad room. "Hmm, wonder where everyone is?" Olivia murmured to Mia, who giggled as Olivia lifted her into her desk chair. "Well, we'll just wait for-"

"Mr. Don!" Mia exclaimed, slipping from the chair and running over to Cragen, who'd just emerged from his office.

"Well, hello there Mia." He laughed as she wrapped her arms around his legs and beamed up at him.

"Can I have a Twizzer?" She asked sweetly, and Olivia choked on a laugh as Cragen glanced up at her guiltily.

"Well, uh-"

"Not right now Mia. We haven't had our lunch yet." Olivia reminded her, saving Cragen. Mia's face fell and Olivia sighed. "But, maybe if you ask nicely we can take a few for later."

Cragen chuckled and took the small girl's hand, leading her back into his office to find the candy.

"I'm telling you man, there was a second-" Munch was saying, and she turned around.

"For the love of God-" Elliot moaned, walking ahead of him into the squad room, eyes lighting up when he saw Olivia. "Save me!"

She laughed. "Hey John. JFK?" He nodded and Elliot groaned as both men tossed papers onto their respective desks.

"Come back soon." Elliot whined and she lightly slapped his arm. "Hey, where's Mia?"

"In with Cragen, sweet talking him out of his Twizzlers." She laughed and followed him to the doorway of the office.

"Hey Miss Mia."

"Ewiot!" She exclaimed, launching herself at him, giggling when he swept her up into his arms. "Can we go to da park now?"

"Sure kiddo." He carried her out of the office and to his desk to grab his coat.

"Here you go Olivia." Cragen handed her a small baggie of Twizzlers with a smile.

She laughed. "Thanks."

"Bye Mr. Don! Come on Livy!"

"I think you just made a friend for life." Olivia laughed before turning to follow them. Cragen's hand on her arm stopped her. "Captain?"

"Be careful Olivia."

"Sir?"

"You're getting attached." He sighed. "Hell, we're all getting attached. Just, be careful okay? I just don't want to see you get hurt."

"We'll be fine." She told him softly. "Thanks for the candy." She smiled, turning to follow Elliot, with Mia on his shoulders, out of the squad room. Cragen watched them go, worry setting in as he watched them interact. The next few weeks promised to be one hell of an emotional roller coaster.

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A/N: Aww...Elliot and Olivia all domestic and lovey-dovey. LOL Just so you know, I know little to nothing about family law and custody stuff...so I'm just kind of making those parts up as I go along. Please review, and I promise I'm making an effort to get this updated soon! 


	8. Name Change

Hey everyone! I just want to thank you for your continued dedication to my stories! I promise they have not been abandoned. This semester in school has been an extremely stressful one, but luckily we're almost to the end of the semester! As soon as finals are over, I plan on celebrating by posting a whole bunch of updates! Consider it an early Christmas present to all of you. Hopefully I'll be able to balance a little more next semester and keep writing.

I also wanted to let you know that I am changing my pen name. I was talking it over with one of my friends, who also writes fan fiction, and we decided that my new one definitely applies to all the shows that I watch, more so that BodiesNBones. So be on the look out for new updates and maybe even a new story from me! Thanks so much!

WeHaveACase


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